Spring 2005
Professor:
Book review Mission in the Old Testament
CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW
Bibliographical Data: Kaiser, Walter C. Jr. Mission in the Old Testament ? Israel as a Light to the Nations. Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI. January 2004.
Information about the Author: "Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. is president and Colman M. Mockler Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary." He has a Doctorate. He is also the author or coauthor of several books. He is a strong advocate for Christians making God's missionary purpose a central theme in their lives. "Missions cannot be an afterthought for the Old Testament: it is the heart and core of the plan of God" (38). Walter desires for the church, to not only participate in blessing to the greatest of ability, but also to receive the supreme blessings the Lord has to offer us.
Purpose of the Author: "God's eternal plan was to provide salvation for all peoples; it was never intended to be reserved for one special group, such as the Jews, even as an initial offer! It is the history of this offer and the way it was carried out in Old Testament times that will form the heart of our study here" (10). Through this book Kaiser wants his reader to understand the correlation or the connecting point between the Old Testament and New Testament pertaining to missions. Kaiser wants the reader to understand that Genesis is the beginning for the call of missions, not the New Testament. He yearns for the reader to reflect on what he has to say and not only share his burden, but act on it. Kaiser's main purpose and focus is to fully define, expound, and elucidate the Old Testament mission in a way that his readers' could have a better understanding. "Mission points to a ce ...